Aeroplane safety-parachute and means of launching same from aeroplanes



H. M. CROWTHE'R.

AEROPLANE SAFETY PARACHUTE AND MEANS OF LAUNCHING SAME FROM AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1919. 1,327,592.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- H. M. CHOWTHER.

AEROPLANE SAFETY PARACHUTE AND MEANS OF LAUNCHING SAME FROM AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. I9l9.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

mariner) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. CROWTHER, OF KINGMAN, ARIZONA.

AEBOPLANE S AFETY-PARACHUTE AND MEANS OF LAUNCHING SAME FROM AERO- PLANES.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Application filed April 4, 1919. Serial No. 287,628.

' To all whom it may concern:

. planes. =t1on. 10'

Be it known that I, HENRY M. CRow'rHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingman, in the county of Mohave and State of Arizona, have invented a' new and useful Aeroplane Safety Parachute and Means of Launching Same from Aeroof which the following is a specifica- -My invention relates to improvements in man carrying parachutes in relation to method of launching the same from aeroplanes in flight and to the .system of carrying and the method of launching the same forlife saving purposes from aeroplanes in flight; and the objects of my invention are to provide means of enabling a man carrying parachute to-be instantly launched with the aviator (previously attached to suspension line system of the parachute) from an aeroplane or. airship when the same is out of control or falling to earth.- The parachute being carried in a suitably covered caseor container, with a snap hook attached to the end of the parachute suspension ropes and by the use of the snap hook; the'parachute to be attached to a body and shoulder harness Worn by the aviator. The para- I chute is to be rapidly launched by thefiring of a shell or projectile from a gun, which is permanently loaded and carried 1n pos1- tion for instant discharge; and the shell to have means of attaching a towing line at the time of loading the gun and this tow line to be attached at opposite end to the top of the parachute; ready to be launched, with the object thatwhen gun is fired, the

shell or projectile will be forcibly shot up wardly into the air above the falling aeroplane, carrying the tow line with it and when the tow line is fully drawn out, the attached. parachute is launched from its case; the parachute being drawn upwardly by its top end in collapsed, fully strung out osition, and when completely drawn out of 1ts case,the parachute will be stopped in vertically suspended position. in the airabove the aeroplane by the weight of the aviator previously attached as explained; and the'shell or projectile continuing to rise exerts a strain on the tow line sufiicient to out itstow line free from the parachute byautomatically bringing a cutting knife into play at this time, leaving the shell or projectile and its attached tow line free to fall ing in the usual. manner and arrest the speed of the falling aviator and pull him free from the aeroplane, to descend to earth slowly by use of air resistance of distended parachute. All of this action taking place automatically in a few seconds after aviator fires the shell or projectile, with the tow line attached, from the loaded gun.

I'attain these objects by the apparatus illustrated .in the accompanying drawings, in which, v

Figure 1 is a-vertical section of an aeroplane in horizontal flight, showing the position of carrying the gun, and the parachute, and the other apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the top of the parachute, showing attachment gear, and the cutting loose device, of the tow line and shell launching system.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the cutting knife that automatically releases the shell or projectile with tow line attached, from the parachute.

case or container for carrying parachute is is I proportionately is previously attached, all ready for instant discharge.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of shell or .projectile and its case or cartridge, showing method of loading, and also showing a section of the tow line attached. I

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 shows the aeroplane .1, and gun 2, loaded with cartridge and ashell with a tow line attached to the shell; and tow line container 9, with tow line 7 coiled therein, with one end of tow line attached to the shell 3 in place in cartridge 3, in breech of the gun; the tow line being coiled. ready to feed out the line from top of coil parts downwardly, and when bottom of the coil of tow line is reached the line continues to the other end of tow line where it is attached to parachute 11, from the top of tern is a rope line 12 passing out of case 9 along the front inner side of same, which rope line 12 terminates in an attached snap hook 12*, for purpose of attaching parachute suspension line system to a conventional harness gear (not shown) to be worn on shoulders and upper body of aviator, The tow line container and parachute container are each covered with a separate cloth cover 9", and 9, shown in detail in Fig. 4, with object of retaining the contents of the containers from spilling out when aeroplane is in the upside down position; and these covers consist of a circular hoop 29 formed to fit loosely over the top end of each case or container, respectively, and over the top of the hoop is stretched a canvas cover which is riveted to the sides of hoop, to form a slipon cover or lid for each case; the hoop having two small grooves 31 and 32 located opposite sides and formed in the side walls of the hoop, and these rooves extend outwardly from main circ e of hoop circumfference, and in direction of longitudinal axis of side of hoop, with object to provide a groove to permit tow line 7 to enter container interior between wall of container (outside) and hoop of cover, thus permit ting ends of tow line to enter and continue out of the case with cover in place on case. The hoop exterior has attached to its outside wall and extending downwardly, a lug 32 terminating in a projection that engages a hook 34 attached to side of container or case, near its top, to form one side of a latch for covers to cases 9 and 9, respectively of each case; and on opposite side of hoop side exterior wall is similarly attached a swinging latch 56, consisting of a hinge 57, a fiat tension spring 58, to hold swinging latch in place against jarring out of locked position, and a lower swinging portion 59 having a crescent shaped arm 59, with a projection to engage a stop piece 60 secured to the side of the case or container, with the object to provide a lock latch for the cover of the container or case, in each container; and the cover opens automatically as follows: The tow line on its course as strung in position in each container leading from projectileto parachute is passed under the crescent shaped arm of the cover latch of both container covers and is secured to said arm lightly by tying with 'a piece of thread, to avoid its swinging out of position, and when the projectile is discharged from the gun the tow line in paying out will raise the cover after releasing the latch, first of the tow line container and later the cover of the parachute container, and the covers will fall overboard.

The covers are urposel made light in weight in case oft eir stril iing the aviator, when released.

With the covers 011' the tow line and parachute are free to be launched without interference.

Fig. 5 shows the gun, with smooth bore barrel 2, with open breech, the gun is attached to the fuselage ofthe aeroplane by hanger arms 35 and 35; and said gun has a conventional breech block 36, with lock groove engaging projection lugs 36, in the usual manner, and the cartridge-end of gun barrel has an offset groove 38 to engage the projecting rim of cartridge end. The breech block has a firing pin- 37 with stop pin 37, engaging a slot groove in firing pin, to hold pin in place, and a cylindrical striking hammer bolt 39 slidingly mounted in a cylindrical hole through the center of the breech block longitudinal axis, which hammer bolt is surrounded by a compression coil spring 41 having a seat 39 formedintegral with the hammer bolt. The spring is held in place in the breech block by a spring seat screw cap 42 mounted on the threaded rear end of the breech block, which cap 42 has a centrally located hole to pass the rear end of the hammer bolt through it.

' The hammer bolt extends a short distance beyond the end of the breech block, and terminates in a hand hold rin 4:0,with the object to provide means of 000 ing the hammer by drawing the hammer 'bolt backward. The hammer bolt has a projecting circular. lug 39 located about midway of its length,

formed integral, with aface at right angle to its length, at the front end of the lug, to engage thefiring trigger pin 44 when the hammer bolt is cooked, and the lug has a tapered rear end to raise the firing trigger pin over the lug 39 when the haimner bolt is drawn backward. The firing trigger pin 44 is slidingly mounted in a hole bored in the side of breech block, and has a compression coil spring 45 mounted on it, which. spring is seated on a lug made integral with firing trigger pin and is retained with a screw cap 43, having a central hole to pass the end of the pin through, and the pin terminates in an eye hole to attach a firing control wire 46 which terminates in a handle hold 47, held in a safety clip (not shown) convenient to the hand of the aviator. The control wire 46 may pass over a roller 48.

No special novelty or invention is claimed for the detail of the gun shown in Fig. 5; a spring powered or compressed air gun would serve the purpose but might weigh more than the explosive cartridge gun as illustrated. Fig. 6 shows the loaded, cylindrical cartridge case 3, and projecting rim 48, charge of explosive 50, retaining wad 51, the shell or pro ectile 3 and reamed inwardly mouth of cartridge .case 57, the object of which is to retain the shell. The shell '3 has 3* is provided with a center fire percussion exploding cap 49.

Upon discharge of the shell from the gun,

the shell is intended to reverse itself and travel point forward.

The gun is kept loaded and trigger cocked during flight of the aeroplane and tow line attached to shell and parachute top end and the parachute is ready in container for instant use.

vUpon getting into the aeroplane theaviator snaps the hookon end of the parachute suspension line to his shoulder and body harness which he will wear. The ordinary features of the parachute are of conventional type, usually of about 35 feet in opened diameter, with 55 feet of suspension line system and provided with 12 inch air outlet in top, but Fig. 2 shows details of special features of my invention in their relation to common features of conventional parachute, of which -11 is fabric of parachute body With air discharge hole 11 Heavy rein orcement strips of fabric 18 are shown in which a fiber rope 19 is anchored,

.and this rope 19 extends across the air hole opening and is fastened at both ends to parachute at points of the reinforcement; and mounted stationary on the rope 19 are two wooden stop blocks of circular disk shape, 20 and 20 to serve as stops to. hold the tow line, etc., in place; and there is mounted slidingly on the rope 19 between the stop blocks, a bolt 17 with an' eye hole 21 in the end, through which the rope 19 is passed, to provide a tie for the tow'line to the para-chute; and bolt 17 has a corrugated section at other end, against which corrugations the ends of a plurality of rubber ribbons 14 are anchored by string winding 16,

the rubber ribbons are'of sufiicient length to serve as shock absorbers for the tow line, and the other end of the rubber ribbons are attached to the end of the tow line 7 at string winding 15; and the tow line other end is attached to vthe shell or projectile in the gun, as described, this tow line is of a suitable length, about 200 feet, and may be fire-proofed for the? portion that is exposed to the flash of the explosion of the gun, in addition to the short length of chain directly connected to the shell or projectile.

Mounted on the parachute anchor fiber rope .line bein 19 between stop blocks 20 and20 is a cutting device 22, to which is attached a jerk line 24 at the eyelet hole fastening 23; and this jerk line 24 extends downwardly in the interior of the parachute and its lower end is attached to the lower end of the parachute suspension ropes terminal, but the jerk line is, in length, several feet shorter than the total distance from top of the parachute to the end of the suspension ropes terminals when the parachute is fully collapsed and stretched out in its longest over-all condition, with the object that when parachute is fully towed out of its case by the movement of the discharged shell or projectile and the tow line connection to a distance from the aeroplane which will produce a strain on the weight ofthe attached aviator, the jerk shorter will not be allowed to move as far as the parachute, thus bringing the jerk line to an abrupt stop while the parachute still continues to be pulled upward by the tow line and shell or projectile with result that the cutting device 22 is forcibly pulled down on the anchor fiber rope 19 by the strain on the jerk line to which cutting device is attached, and the knife edges of the cutting device sever the anchor fiber rope and permit the tow line and the shell .or projectile attached thereto to'be-released. from connection with the parachute leaving the parachute fully launched in the air, ready to open and lift the aviator from the aeroplane.

Fig. 3 shows detail of the cutting device,

of which 22 is a frame of open interior.

reach entirely to bottom of frame, thus pro 'viding space free'of knives for passage of the fiber rope 19. The lower end of frame forms a plain bend 23 in which is located an eye hole 22, in which hole is anchored the end of the jerk line 24; and there is provided a fiat spring 26 bent to form a guard to hold' the anchor rope 19, which is passed through the lower part of frame and rests on the plain bent portion 23, away from contact with the knives, ordinarily, or until the cutting device is forcibly pulled down by jerk'lme tension as explained; and the spring clip or guard 26, has an anchorage 27 and spring tension stop 28, the tension of the spring guard being designed to permit the fiber rope 19 to be released to contact with the knives, in manner described.

The size of bore and length of gun barrel. the weight and size of the shell or projectile and measured amount of a slow igniting powder used are all to be nicely proportioned with respect to object in View.

Various changes may be made in detail of this apparatus without departin from the.

and detached from the parachute when the parachute is fully drawn out.

2. The combination of an aeroplane with a safety parachute, comprising a parachute adapted to be carried on the aeroplane, means for projecting the parachute away from the aeroplane connected with a loose tie to a rope across a hole in the top. of the parachute, a jerk line having one end fixed to the aeroplane and carrying a cutting knife mounted ona rope at the other end, the jerk line being of such length that when the parachute has been fully drawn out by the projecting means the jerk line will be drawn taut and the rope across the hole in the top of the parachute will be cut by the knife, thereby freeing the parachute from the projecting means, and means for connecting the parachute with the harness of the avlator.

3. The combination of an aeroplane-with a safety parachute, comprising a parachute adapted to be carried on the aeroplane in a properly constructed case opening upwardly, projecting means for projecting the parachute away from the aeroplane, a tow line connecting the projecting means with the parachute by a loose tie on a rope across a hole in the top of the parachute, a casing opening upwardly for the tow line, a cover for the tow line casing adapted to be jerked off the casing when the tow line is being operated by the projecting means, a cover for the parachute casing adapted to be jerked off by the tow line rope when the line is operated by the projecting means, and means for connecting the parachute with the harness of the aviator.

4:. The combination of an aeroplane with a safety parachute, comprising a parachute adapted to be carried on the aeroplane, a

gun mounted upon the aeroplane pointing upwardly and adapted to be fired by means positioned in easy reach of the aviator, a projectile for the gun, a tow line connected with the projectile at one end and with the parachute at the other end, means for .re

leasing the tow line from the parachute when the parachute has been fully drawn out by the flight of the projectile, and means for connecting the parachute with. the harness of the aviator.

The combination of an aeroplane with a safety parachute, means for projecting the parachute, a container for the parachute opening upwardly, a cover for the container having a latch adapted to be operated by a tow line connected with the parachute, a second container adapted to carry a tow line and having a cover carrying a latch adapted to be operated by the tow line when the said tow line is operated by the projecting means.

HENRY M. OROWTHER. 

